Until the Sun Falls from the Sky(167)
“Make it possible,” Lucien clipped.
“You don’t understand,” Gregor said carefully.
“And you can explain it to me after I speak with Leah,” Lucien retorted.
“I might be able to arrange for you to see some of them but it is highly likely you’ll only be allowed to see those Prophesies that do not concern you but instead the other two sets of lifemates in The Triumvirate,” Gregor explained.
“Pull strings, grease palms, exchange favors but find a way for me to read those Prophesies,” Lucien gritted.
“Luce, do you believe this nonsense?” Stephanie asked in disbelief and Lucien’s eyes cut to her.
“That Leah’s my lifemate?” he asked, Stephanie nodded and Lucien finished, “Absolutely.”
Stephanie’s head jerked right before her eyes narrowed and that was right before she grinned.
“Okay, then do you believe about The Prophesies?” she queried.
“If anything is written about Leah and me, I want to read it whether it was written yesterday or three thousand years ago and whether I believe it or not,” Lucien replied.
“Understandable,” she muttered, still grinning.
“There is much still to talk about,” Gregor cut in and Lucien’s eyes went to him.
“We’ll arrange another meeting. Two weeks,” he stated.
Gregor’s eyebrows shot up. “Two weeks?”
“Gregor, I’m about to walk out of this office, go home and ask the woman I love to spend eternity with me. Yes, fucking two weeks and consider yourself lucky I’m not going to arrange a fucking meeting until after two months.”
Gregor’s eyes dipped to his knees but not before Lucien saw them light.
Jesus, the vampire wasn’t entirely cold and unfeeling. This was good to know.
On that thought, the door opened and Lucien turned to it to see Sally’s head stuck in.
Then his body went solid when he registered her pallor, her wide eyes and smelled her fear.
“I’m so sorry, Lucien. I know you said no interruptions but Edwina’s on the phone and she said it’s a dire emergency.”
Fuck, he’d turned off his cell for this meeting. And with Cosmo, Stephanie and Avery at the meeting, he’d necessarily but unwillingly left Leah unprotected.
Fuck!
He strode swiftly to his desk, forcing himself to do it at a mortal’s pace, demanding to know, “What line?”
“One,” Sally replied.
He yanked the phone out of its cradle, put it to his ear, hitting line one at the same time.
“Edwina.”
“Lucien,” she breathed, her voice hitching. “Oh, Lucien.”
“Talk to me,” he ordered.
“Your… your father, Ka… Katrina, Marcello and um… I don’t know his name but there were four vampires here. They busted through the door. They –”
Fuck. No. Oh fuck, no.
“Leah?” he barked.
“She’s gone,” Edwina whispered and Lucien’s gut twisted as his free hand curled into a fist and his chest started to burn.
“Gone?” he whispered back, stunned at their audacity as well as livid. “They took her?”
“No, no… she left. They, your father that is, he said the most awful things to her, Lucien. You wouldn’t… I couldn’t even believe it. He told her such awful things. And he told her about some woman named Maggie.”
Lucien closed his eyes as his fist tightened. He put it to his desk and leaned into it.
Edwina kept talking.
“He… he… oh Lucien, I’m sorry to tell you this about your own father but… he touched her.”
Lucien opened his eyes but he saw nothing but red.
“He touched Leah?”
“Oh fuck.” He heard Stephanie whisper but Edwina was again talking.
“He touched her and he spoke to her, such vile things. She was… she was crying, Lucien. It was… oh goodness, the look on her face. I’ll never forget it. I tried to explain but she… I’m sorry, she packed her things and left. She was so desperate to get away, she left me tied up but called the police to come get me. They’re here now. They got here just minutes ago. I called you as soon as I –”
“Do not leave. Do not make a complaint to the police but keep them there until I’m home. I’ll bring others with me so you’ll be safe.”
“All right, Lucien,” she whispered. “I, uh… you should know, your father said they would be prepared for your response.”
Fuck.
“Did they harm you?” he asked belatedly.
“They scared me and taped me to a chair. It hurt when they ripped the tape off but I’m fine.”